The formulation of modem cleaning compositions is a sophisticated and complex undertaking. The formulator is faced with the need to employ ingredients which are safe and effective under a wide variety of usage conditions and with a wide variety of soil and fabric types. For example, some consumers prefer to use laundry detergents at temperatures as low as about 5.degree. C., whereas others use such compositions at temperatures approaching the boil. Soil types range from the particulate silicates and clay soils, thorough carbohydrate soils, proteinaceous soils including body soils, and food stains and other greasy/oily stains. Mixed stains, such as those caused by cosmetics and which comprise both water-insoluble oily materials and highly colored particulates, are also often commonly encountered by the user.
A wide variety of ingredients have been suggested for use in modern cleaning compositions, including various bleaches, surfactants, builders, soil release agents, and the like. While a review of the literature would seem to suggest that such ingredients are widely available, many are specialty items which are not economical for use in the home. Indeed, one of the problems associated with many of the ingredients employed in fabric laundering and bleach compositions is their expense. Many of the more sophisticated ingredients require multi-step reaction sequences which are, themselves, expensive. Moreover, some of the proposed ingredients must be manufactured using organic solvent systems, which must be recovered and recycled in order to minimize costs. In addition, the organic solvent reactions often require high reaction temperatures, which result in a reaction product of poor color. In almost every conceivable circumstance, it is highly preferred to use ingredients which can be economically prepared using as few processing steps as possible. In particular, it is highly preferred to use processing steps which employ water as the primary solvent.
One class of materials which has recently come into commercial use in bleaches and bleaching laundry detergents comprise various, so-called bleach "activators". These organic activator molecules are designed to improve the performance of conventional inorganic bleaching agents such as percarbonate and perborate. Unfortunately, many of the proposed bleach activator molecules are difficult and expensive to prepare, and thus remain mere laboratory curiosities.
By the present invention, certain amido bleach activators are prepared using economical synthetic methods which employ water as one of the principal reaction solvents. Additional benefits of the present invention include the ability to use short reaction times and low reaction temperatures, both of which help achieve reaction products having excellent light or white color.